jayjay, I’m thinking “mindless” in terms of… well, fluff vs. literature, I guess, maybe, but that doesn’t exactly work as a distinction, either. Lackey writes enjoyable fiction, but it’s by no means a hard read, if that makes any sense. Which is not to say she can’t still have strong characters and deal with real issues, just that the prose isn’t terribly challenging.
I’ve read most of Lackeys stuff, as well as Pratchet, Mccaffry, Hobb (enjoyed her farseer stuff, soldiers son not so much) and all the Conan books. I tried Eddings once, elder gods I think it was, and was not impressed I will definitely give him another try though. Thanks a lot for all your recommendations. Have you all read Raymond Feists magician series? I noticed none of you commented on it, so if you haven’t picked them up, give it a try!
Scott Lynch - Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies. Warning - this is an as yet uncompleted series, first two of a scheduled seven.
I’m almost done re-reading Sharon Shinn’s Samaria series (Ooh, yay! No, I’m not. Apparently there are two more I didn’t know about listed at wikipedia) and I find them quite enjoyable. They’re a fantasy sci/fi blend, with romance (but not the explicit bodice ripping kind) and adventure and really wild things. I’m a huge Lackey fan, and these read a lot like Lackey’s books, but in a completely different setting. So if you liked Lackey, give Shinn a try.
Totally,totally,totally seconded.
Plus I recommend Michael Moorcocks Elric of Melnibone’ series.
What order should they be read in?
Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls need to be read in that order. Hallowed Hunt can be read whenever.
And there are like 40 of them, so it takes a while to run down. And by then you want to read them over!
I can’t believe it took to post #8 for Pratchett to be mentioned.
Pratchett is totally readable, ----ing funny, and there’s some sincere drama and commentary on the human condition as well. What more could you want?!?
Not to mention that you will never be able to say the word “hedgehog” without giggling again.
Perhaps the best swords & sorcery type fantasy ever written is the Fafhurd & the Grey Mouser series by Fritz Leiber.
If she gets around to it there will be two more books–one for each god.
I think a lot of readers consider that to have been his weakest series (I’ve never even bothered with it, given the reviews I’ve read). Of his other stuff, I’d suggest the Elenium as the strongest…start with “The Diamond Throne” (which should be available in paperback at any big bookstore), and, if you like it, go on from there (there’s two more books in that series, and another three in the follow-up series).
try Edgar Rice Burroughs and his John Carter of Mars series.
All are in the public domain and available for download:
http://freeread.com.au/ebooks00/fr100027.txt
http://freeread.com.au/ebooks00/fr100044.txt
http://freeread.com.au/ebooks00/fr100045.txt
http://freeread.com.au/ebooks00/fr100046.txt
http://freeread.com.au/ebooks00/fr100047.txt
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100201.txt
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100211.txt
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100221.txt
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100231.txt
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100241.txt
Most of what I would recommend has already been suggested.
The one that hasn’t is the Liaden Universe books by Sharon Lee/Steve Miller. Light, easy-reading space opera with touches of fantasy and a comedy of manners. 11 books, so there’s a reasonable amount to enjoy. I’d recommend reading them in chronological order, rather than published order, except for the last 3 (Crystal Soldier, Crystal Dragon, and Balance Of Trade), since as they’re more pre-history for the other books you get more from them knowing the later stories.
Also, the Simon Green Nightside series is pretty fun.
Has anyone said Piers Anthony’s Xanth series? That’s like the model “mindless” fantasy series, I should think. Haven’t read any since I was a kid, but I think he’s still churning the odd book out every couple of years too. Lots of recurring characters, past references, etc., etc.
I also like Juliet Marriller’s Sevenwaters series, among her others. She’s a very talented author. Her prose is beautiful. but she also makes it effortless and easy to get into. V. good.
There’s the Twilight books too. Always fun. Mindless like Harry Potter. Robin Mckinley’s another one to check out too. Do it.
Unless one is already hooked, I wouldn’t recommend it. The earlier ones (probably up to Centaur Aisle, maybe) are fine, but they start getting progressively skeezy…there’s way too much speculating about the Adult Conspiracy between minors and adults in the later ones. Too much speculation about the underwear choices of just barely underage girls.
Besides, Anthony isn’t really much of a writer anymore. I am in the unenviable position of having absorbed Xanth before it descended into Rene Guyon Society wink-wink stuff. I read each new one as it comes out, but I don’t buy them anymore. I borrow them from the library instead. The whole tone has become so…facile, I guess. It reads as incredibly insincere, like he’s just kind of tossing them out there. It’s just a weird tone, like it’s all surface and he’s just not engaging with his material anymore.
So… that’s the Mother and the Father left, right?
Gross. I sort of felt that way about the last one I read. I think was Zombie Lover. I dunno. It was the one about the 14-year-old black girl who everyone gets a boner for. She has sex with a tree or something.
Fun when you’re a kid, though!
I still like that one where it’s this tapestry telling the princess a story about this barbarian & a woman. Cruel something. I forget. I was in a second-hand bookstore the other day and I saw loads of Xanth paperbacks in the stacks. I won’t lie: I was tempted. But I resisted! I’d already bought the first two Twlight books that same day. I’d already filled my pulp-cheese quota!!
Crewel Lye, which is, coincidentally, about the point where the puns just took over. I mean, they were always there, ever since A Spell for Chameleon, but they weren’t the whole point of the books until Crewel Lye.
I’m stoked.